Tag Archives: farm protection

Years ago, Zimbabwe had a healthy economy that was dominated by those of European background, but farms produced crops and provided jobs. The solution was to develop a plan for land to be redistributed in an even handed manner in order to ensure those assuming contol of the land could be successful farmers. Instead, President Robert Mugabe embarked on a program to drive out white farmers and replace them with his fellow thugs. The result was economic disaster and three million Zimbabweans have fled the country. Today, Mugabe and former opposition leader, Tenda Biti, proposed a plan based on $5 billion in foreign aid to restore the nation’s economy. Biti insisted there must be restoration of democracy and an end of seizing farms in order to reward Mugabe cronies.

Mugabe, in his best George Bush imitation, does not acknowledge his policies had any part in creating the current economic mess. “I appeal for the removal of your sanctions which are inhuman and unwarranted.” International donors are not going to give money to Mugabe unless he develops a sensible farm policy and ends taking over farms of those who are productive. As Biti noted: farmer “must be given security on their land and a chance to grow their crops.”

Which part of your mouth will speak, Mr. Mugabe? If you don’t end brutality and destruction of farms, sanctions will not be lifted. To do so, is simply an invitation for you and your cronies to become rich.